Category Archives: State

In recognition of Distracted Driving Awareness Month, AAA reminds motorists that according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an estimated 3,477 people were killed nationwide in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2015.

For the first time in nearly a decade, preliminary 2016 data estimates more than 40,000 people died in motor vehicle crashes last year in the U.S. and about 10 percent of those were due to distracted drivers. The 2016 U.S. death toll marks a six percent increase over 2015, and a 14 percent increase over 2014, the most dramatic two-year escalation since 1964, according to the National Safety Council.

The South Dakota Dept. of Public Safety says there was a total of 17,791 traffic crashes across the state in 2015, compared with 17,346 in 2014. The number of crashes involving a distracted driver rose from 1,032 in 2014 to 1,125 in 2015, the last year for which statistics are available. Bear in mind that driver distraction in these crashes is largely self-reported and is undoubtedly low.

Distracted driving is any activity, such as grooming, eating, or the most common diversion – texting – that takes a driver’s attention off the road. AAA reminds motorists that not only is texting while driving unwise, it’s also against the law in South Dakota.

AAA South Dakota urges drivers to put the cellphones down not only in April, but all year. AAA’s annual Traffic Safety Culture Index (TSCI) released earlier this year, finds that young millennials are the riskiest drivers, with two in three drivers admitting to talking on a cell phone while driving.

According to the AAA survey:
Drivers ages 19-24 were 1.6 times as likely as all drivers to report having read a text message or e-mail while driving (66.1 percent vs. 40.2 percent).
Drivers ages 19-24 were nearly twice as likely as all drivers to report having typed or sent a text message or e-mail while driving (59.3 percent vs. 31.4 percent).

For several years running now, the TSCI has revealed a culture among US drivers of “Do as I say, not as I do.” The same drivers who describe texting and other risky behavior as unacceptable, also admit to engaging in it.

“Alarmingly, some of the drivers ages 19-24 believe the risks they take behind the wheel aren’t a big deal,” said Marilyn Buskohl, spokeswoman for AAA South Dakota. “It’s critical that these drivers understand the potentially deadly consequences of engaging in these types of behaviors and that they change their attitudes in order to reverse the growing number of fatalities on our roads.”

Texting and driving requires motorists to take their eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, and mind off the task of driving. This is a recipe for a crash. AAA says your life and the lives of others you share the road with, depend on and deserve your full attention. Put the phone down.

AAA research has found that the cognitive distraction of a conversation and using technology is more dangerous than first thought, and may distract drivers up to 27 seconds after they hang up the phone.

Tips for Safe Driving
As a general rule, if you cannot devote your full attention to driving because of some other activity, it’s a distraction. Take care of it before or after your trip, not while you’re behind the wheel.
Stow loose gear, possessions or other distractions that could roll around in the car so you don’t feel tempted to reach for them on the floor or the seat.
Put aside your electronic devices. Do not use cellphones while driving – whether handheld or hands-free – except in absolute emergencies.
Make vehicle adjustments before you begin your trip – address vehicle systems like GPS, seats, mirrors, climate controls and sound systems – before hitting the road.

Passengers can do a lot to help reduce the risk of distracted driving, too. If you’re riding shotgun, be a good passenger and help minimize distractions for the driver. If you see the driver is becoming distracted, speak up and offer assistance.

AAA’s Top Five Tips for Passengers
Buckle up: Be sure to immediately buckle up once you get into the vehicle. This will avoid an unnecessary conversation later with the driver. The driver needs to concentrate on the task at hand – driving.
Be a good co-pilot: Essentially, help drive the car. Support the driver by being an extra set of eyes, ears and hands. Ensure other passengers act responsibly. Remind the driver to put it down, don’t text and drive. Should an opportunity arise, offer to help.
Stay awake: Although it can be tempting to doze off, keep the driver company and offer assistance when necessary. If your GPS isn’t working properly or the driver gets lost, your fully charged smartphone will help to safely navigate you to your destination.
Don’t be a back-seat driver: Abstain from being negative and pointing out every little mistake. This adds to the driver’s stress level instead of easing it. Steer clear of agitating the driver. Remember, a calm driver is a safe driver.
Control your emotion: If you think there is emerging danger, control your impulses and reactions. Calmly let the driver know, but do not shout, grab the steering wheel or hand brake as this will only make things worse.

South Dakota’s statewide pump price average is still languishing in a narrow range of between $2.31 and $2.35, as it has since mid-January, according to GasPrices.AAA.com. However, the difference in prices between cities in the state vary today by nearly 23 cents per gallon – from Brandon ($2.21), Sioux Falls ($2.21) and Vermillion ($2.23) to Aberdeen ($2.30), Rapid City ($2.30), Yankton ($2.30) and Pierre ($2.45). AAA advises motorists to shop around.

Current Price Averages per Gallon of Regular Gasoline

Sioux Falls – $2.21, down five cents in the past month … up 23 cents since 4/3/16
Rapid City – $2.30, down three cents in the past month … up 34 cents since 4/3/16
South Dakota – $2.31, down three cents in the past month … up 29 cents since 4/3/16
U.S. – $2.33, up one cent in the past month … up 27 cents since 4/3/16

Quick Stats
•The nation’s top ten least expensive markets are: South Carolina ($2.04), Tennessee ($2.08), Mississippi ($2.08), Alabama ($2.09), Oklahoma ($2.10), Arkansas ($2.10), Missouri ($2.11), Louisiana ($2.12), Virginia ($2.13) and Texas ($2.15).

•The nation’s top ten markets with the largest weekly increases include: Ohio (+18 cents), Michigan (+16 cents), Indiana (+14 cents), Illinois (+11 cents), Wisconsin (+7 cents), Delaware (+7 cents), West Virginia (+6 cents), Kentucky (+5 cents), Oregon (+5 cents) and Georgia (+5 cents).

Government and law enforcement officials along with news media representatives were in Pierre Monday, March 27, for a ceremony to reenact the governor’s signing of a bill to make some police booking photos a public record.

The new law, which takes effect July 1, will make public the booking photos taken by law enforcement of those arrested on felony charges.

Attorney General Marty Jackley had the bill introduced in the legislature this year. Jackley had convened an open government task force last year that agreed to recommend the bill for consideration.

Gov. Dennis Daugaard, whose office also testified in favor of the bill, signed it into law on March 14.

Jackley said the new law is a good open government step for South Dakota and puts the state on par with most states around the country regarding public access to booking photos.

“Having routine booking photos available to the press and the public makes good government sense,” Jackley said. “It supports government transparency in the criminal process so the public can see what law enforcement is doing, what is happening in the court system.”

Jackley also said the new law will help the news media and the public have accurate information about felony-related arrests because access to the booking photo will make sure the correct person is identified.

David Bordewyk, executive director of the South Dakota Newspaper Association, said the news media was appreciative of the attorney general’s work to get this bill approved by lawmakers.

“The support and work of Attorney General Jackley along with his staff on this bill were key to its success,” Bordewyk said. “This bill has been several years in the making and after some legislative defeats in the past, this year we were able to see it across the finish line.”

Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote,” In the Spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.” He might well have added thoughts of baseball, too.

The 2017 Major League Baseball season begins April 2.

South Dakotans have not been shut out of making it to the big leagues. At least 43 players born in South Dakota or associated with the state have played in the major leagues, according to the online sources Baseball Almanac and Wikipedia. Here is a look at some of them:

Charles “Deacon” Phillippe was renowned for his control of the ball. On Oct. 1, 1903, he pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first ever World Series game. The Pirates defeated Boston 7-3, with Cy Young being the losing pitcher. Phillippe was born in Virginia in 1872, but his family moved to Dakota Territory near Redfield when he was young. He first appeared in pro baseball in 1899 and played for the Pirates in all but his debut year. Phillippe never had a losing season in his 13 years in the major leagues.

“Who is the only player to ever pinch-hit for Ted Williams?” – Carroll Hardy, who was born in Sturgis in 1933. He started his career as a professional athlete by playing football for the San Francisco 49ers. After one NFL season, he concentrated on baseball. He made his major league debut in 1958 for the Cleveland Indians. In 1960, Williams fouled a pitch off his foot and could not finish his at-bat. Hardy stepped in and lined into a double play. Hardy also pinch-hit for Carl Yastrzemski and Roger Maris.

Dick Green was a second baseman for the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1974, almost all of them as a starter. He was a key member of the Oakland dynasty that won World Series titles in 1972, 1973 and 1974. Green was born in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1941, but moved to Yankton as a youngster and graduated from high school in Mitchell. He lived in Rapid City during and after his big-league career.

Dave Collins, Mark Ellis and Kelvin Torve were all players born in Rapid City who played for the Rapid City Post 22 American Legion baseball program and made it to the major leagues. Collins made his major league debut for the California Angels in 1975. In 1977, he was the first batter for the Seattle Mariners in their first game and scored the franchise’s first run two days later. Known as one of the fastest men in baseball, Collins racked up 395 stolen bases during his 16-year career in the major leagues.

Ellis made his Major League debut in 2002 for the Oakland Athletics. When he retired in 2015, he finished with a .991 fielding percentage. He committed just 60 errors in 1,364 games at second base.

Torve was 28 years old when he broke into the big leagues in 1988 with the Minnesota Twins. His last major league baseball appearance was in 1991.

Terry Francona, who was born in Aberdeen, has twice been named American League Manager of the Year. Under Francona’s management, the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians snapped significant championship droughts. His 2004 Red Sox team won Boston’s first World Series in 86 years. The Red Sox won the World Series again in 2007. Francona was hired as manager of the Cleveland Indians in 2012. The Indians turned around losing seasons and in 2016, the Indians won their first American League pennant since 1997. They lost the World Series to the Chicago Cubs.

George “Sparky” Anderson was one of baseball’s most successful and colorful managers. He achieved the highest mark of achievement in the game when he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a manager in 2000. Born in Bridgewater in 1934, he made his managerial debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 1970. The Reds made it to the World Series that year, losing to the Baltimore Orioles. He was the crank that turned the Big Red Machine, as the Reds dominated the National League in the 1970s under his guidance. The team won four pennants that decade and World Series titles in 1975 and 1976. Anderson managed the Reds until 1979, when he joined the Detroit Tigers. He led the Tigers to a World Series title in 1984. In 26 seasons, Anderson compiled a record of 2,194-1,834. He retired in 1995 and died in 2010.

This moment in South Dakota history is provided by the South Dakota Historical Society Foundation, the nonprofit fundraising partner of the South Dakota State Historical Society at the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. Find us on the web at www.sdhsf.org. Contact us at info@sdhsf.org to submit a story idea.

South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) will host an Antler Auction at the Goeman Auction Pavilion north of Lennox on Saturday, April 22.

The doors open at 8 a.m. A gun auction will take place from 9-11 a.m. CDT with the antler auction to follow.
Antlers make up the bulk of auction items, with hundreds of deer antlers offered to bidders. Other items to be auctioned off include mountain lion and bobcat pelts, mountain lion skulls, elk antlers, bighorn sheep racks, tree stands and more.

“We have a variety of items for auction that should be attractive to taxidermists, hunters, outdoor craft people and outdoor enthusiasts in general,” said GFP conservation officer Jeremy Roe.

Under federal statute, the United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota, Randolph J. Seiler, will remain in his current appointed position until the President nominates and the U.S. Senate confirms his successor. Seiler has not been asked to tender his resignation.

Seiler assumed the duties of Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota on March 12, 2015, when former U.S. Attorney Brendan Johnson resigned. In October of that same year, Seiler received the official nomination by President Barack Obama to be the 41st U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota. Pursuant to an order signed by then U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch on October 6, 2015, Seiler was sworn in that same day by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange, at a ceremony at the U.S. District Courthouse in Pierre, South Dakota.

Seiler’s nomination was sent to the U.S. Senate for confirmation, but it was not acted upon in the allotted timeframe. Given that, federal statute 28 USC 546 – subsection (d) provides the U.S. District Court the authority to appoint a U. S. Attorney. Subsequently, Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court,ordered Randolph J. Seiler as the U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota, effective February 5, 2016. Statutorily, Seiler can remain in his position until it is filled by the new administration. Seiler has been with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for over 20 years. From November 2009 to March 2015, Seiler served as both the First Assistant U.S. Attorney and the Tribal Liaison for the District of South Dakota. Prior to serving in those two capacities, Seiler was an Assistant U.S. Attorney, and he spent 14 years prosecuting violent crime offenses in Indian country and other areas throughout the state. Seiler also served as counsel to the Director in the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., in 2008. He has been an instructor at the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina, as well as a presenter at numerous conferences and trainings on various topics including violent crime, sexual assault, domestic violence, and legal issues in the prosecution of crimes in Indian country.

He has received the Attorney General’s Award for Fraud Prevention, as well as the Director’s Award for Superior Performance in Indian Country.

Attorney General Marty Jackley and Gregory County States Attorney Amy Bartling announced that Donald Kevin Story, 52, Dallas, was sentenced March 13 by Sixth Circuit Court Judge Brown to 25 years in the State Penitentiary.

“This is tragic reminder of how meth is driving violent crime in our communities,” said Jackley. “Combining the meth distribution with sexual crimes to a minor, and its impact to a young victim justified such a significant sentence.”

Story was sentenced to 10 years on one count of distribution of a controlled substance to a minor, methamphetamine and 15 years on one count of sexual contact with a child under the age of 16, with both counts to be served consecutively for a total of 25 years.

Story was indicted in May 2016 on various counts of distributing methamphetamine to minors and sexual contact with minors. He pled guilty to counts 1 and 2 in January 2017. The various crimes were alleged to have occurred in Gregory County at the defendant’s residence in Dallas between Feb. 1, 2016 and May 2016.

By David Bordewyk

Running an Italian restaurant plus a small bed and breakfast keeps owner Yucimy on her feet from sunrise to well past sunset. It’s 7 a.m. and she is already preparing omelets for her five B&B guests. Her cheerful greeting helps everyone shake off a night’s sleep.

Meanwhile, Yucimy’s employees are busy moving tables and chairs to the sidewalk outside the restaurant, which fronts the town’s main avenue, and are inviting passerbys to stop in for breakfast.

Late afternoon will have Yucimy and staff, some of whom are family, busy pouring drinks and planning dinner menus for the B&B guests. At night’s end, Yucimy can be found with her feet up in the small living room just off the restaurant’s kitchen, catching a few minutes of TV.

All in a day’s work for this privately owned business. Welcome to Vinales, Cuba.

In Havana, Rosana Vargas welcomes visitors to her jewelry store, where she shares her small business story. She started making fine silver jewelry five years ago in her small apartment. Today she has more than 40 people employed in her stylish, privately owned shop along a busy capital city street.

How much does she pay in taxes to the government for her small business success, she is asked.

“Too much,” Rosana says, sounding ever like a well-seasoned capitalist.

Except this isn’t Wall Street or Main Street. This is Cuba.

Along with 28 other Americans from the Midwest, I traveled to Cuba for seven days last week on a “people to people” tour, a kind of educational/tourism tour of the island nation that has the approval of both countries. An employee of a tourism company run by the Cuban government was our guide.

The trip gave a view of a country with compelling contrasts and day-to-day economic struggles for many Cubans that dropped our jaws. It also introduced us to some wonderful, inspiring Cuban people.

To be sure, Cuba remains very much a country ruled by leaders who belong to the Communist Party. Repression of speech, assembly and the press remain very much in play in Cuba today. The government pulls and pushes the levers that control much of Cuba’s way of life. It’s been that way since soon after Fidel Castro overthrew the Batista regime in 1959.

Yet, doors are opening. Capitalism, entrepreneurship and self-reliance are no longer negatives in Cuba. They are happening today in Havana and other parts of the country.

It will be difficult for the government to put the brakes on this growing capitalistic wave. President Raul Castro or the next leader may decide to encourage even more of this kind of growth. Who knows?

This is a country where the average official salary of a state government worker is the equivalent of about $25 per month. By the way, most Cubans work for the government or government-owned enterprises.

Teachers, lawyers and other professionals can make more money tending bar or waiting tables in a restaurant than they can in the jobs they were trained and educated to do.

There is a saying in Cuba that “if you pretend to pay me, I will pretend to work.”

Pretending to work for pretend pay is nothing new in Cuba. That’s been going on for many years.

What’s new is the rapidly burgeoning capitalism.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the Cuban economy went into a free fall. Within a few years, the Cubans realized that growing tourism was necessary to help stave off collapse.

Tourism in Cuba has indeed accelerated the past 20 years. Canadians, Germans, British, Chinese, among others, travel to Cuba. They come for the rum, cigars, salsa music and the sun. The number of foreign tourists coming to Cuba has risen from about 750,000 in 1995 to 3.5 million two years ago.

And now the Americans are coming. The warming of relations between the two countries put in motion by the Obama administration means more and more American tourists are wanting to go to Cuba. We bumped into fellow Americans most everywhere we went during our week-long trip.

Cubans on the street we met cheer what Obama did. They express anxiety about President Trump.

Which takes us back to the small town of Vinales, in the heart of Cuba’s tobacco-growing region. The town has been a tourist destination for many years with bed-and-breakfasts throughout. Today, you see construction in much of the town. Residents are adding a room or two where they can to their small homes to accommodate the growing tourist tide.

Will growth in tourism pull Cuba out of its many economic problems? Probably not. Economic stability likely will take much more, given the scope of challenges.

A personal observation that overrides the nuts and bolts of Cuba’s wobbly GDP is this: My travel experience was that Cubans are genuine, friendly and welcoming. They smile wide and extend a hand when you tell them where you are from. They are willing to chat, even if language is a barrier. (Although almost no one seemed to know where South Dakota was located in America. The closest point of reference that rang a bell with Cubans was the Minnesota Twins. Cubans love baseball.)

More than once I heard Cubans on the street tell me they are eager for the day when the embargo imposed on their country by the United States will end. They believe such a move would make lives better for average Cubans.

In the meantime, they keep building B&Bs (casa particulares), opening privately owned restaurants (paladares) and welcoming more American tourists.

David Bordewyk is executive director of the South Dakota Newspaper Association, Brookings. He participated in a people to people tour of Cuba along with journalists and others from the Midwest March 5-12.
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Local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies have continued to cooperate and strengthen efforts to fight crime in South Dakota.

“The crime statistics reflect that, overall, South Dakota remains a safe place to live as a result of strong community involvement and law enforcement efforts. Many categories of crime, including murder, rape, and sexual offenses were down in 2016. However, the national drug epidemic continues to impact overall crime in South Dakota, with drug offense alone increasing 12.5% in 2016,” reported Attorney General Marty Jackley.

“Law enforcement agencies are aggressively fighting crime in South Dakota,” said Jackley. “Local, county and state agencies in our state have added over three hundred more certified officers since 2007, which has also resulted in more arrests to keep our neighborhoods and cities safe.”

South Dakota law enforcement agencies reported a total of 42,200 arrests involving 75,778 offenses in 2016. The more serious crimes included a total of 19,577 arrests and involve the following: Murder (1st and 2nd Degree)-21, sex offenses-96, assault-4,791, larceny/theft-2,918, fraud-557, drug/narcotic-7,671, prostitution-19, kidnapping-51, robbery-61, arson-13, burglary-362, motor vehicle theft-273, counterfeiting-98, embezzlement-40, stolen property-154, destruction of property-488, pornography/obscene material-24, solicitation of a minor-44 and weapon law violations-248. Less serious crimes totaled 22,623 arrests, involving the following, but not limited to DUI-6,606, liquor law violations-2,636 and disorderly conduct-2,286.

The crime report is compiled by the Attorney General’s Criminal Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) and is the most accurate and comprehensive compilation of South Dakota criminal statistics as it reflects the actual arrest and reporting information by South Dakota law enforcement. Criminal statistics help identify trends in criminal activity that assists in crime prevention and enforcement efforts across South Dakota.

Some examples of the South Dakota numbers included an increase in arrests for drug offenses from 6,818 in 2015 to 7,671 reported in 2016 and thefts totaling more than $30 million worth of property crime lost reported.

April is more likely to be wetter than average, according to a climate outlook released March 16, 2017 by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center.

“Of anywhere in the United States, the highest likelihood of wetter conditions is in our area,” said Laura Edwards, SDSU Extension State Climatologist. “There is a bulls-eye in eastern South Dakota that is projected to have wetter conditions than average in April.”

Edwards explained that this spring outlook is consistent with the long term trend in the region.

“The long term trends in eastern South Dakota over the last several decades has shown more precipitation in the spring and falls seasons,” she said. “The good news is that there is no concern about drought development in the spring season for farmers and gardeners.”

Edwards added that April precipitation has proven to be critical for pasture, forage and hay production throughout the state.

“Abundant moisture would benefit grasslands and hay for livestock feed this summer,” she said.

Due to the above-freezing temperatures throughout February and early March, the soils are now able to absorb some more moisture.

Even though many of the state’s eastern counties had a refreeze, with colder temperatures that started around March 10, Edwards said soils will warm up quickly after the new snow melts.

No substantial flood risks

No regions in South Dakota are at risk for substantial flooding at this time. “According to the NOAA Flood Outlook released March 16, only the far eastern areas in the Minnesota River basin have any risk of even minor flooding,” Edwards said.

The temperature outlook for April shows warmer than average conditions favored to our south and eastern portions of the U.S. but Edwards said it less clear for South Dakota.

“There is some uncertainty on what lies ahead for spring temperatures, with equal chances of warmer or cooler than average in the next three months,” she said.